Fire and Blood
by BloodyCrystal
Summary: Manga-based. 30 shots of the world of X/1999. Mentions of Tokyo Babylon. "This is the way the world ends."
1. How Am I Supposed To Leave You

**BloodyCrystal:** So, this was started by a list of 30 quotes from a variety of sources that I then used as prompts for drabbles. This is a work in progress, as I have not even finished half of these. It will be very slow going, and a lot of it is based on material that may or may not be contradicted. It is manga-based, and (hopefully) cannon through the first 18 volumes.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own X/1999 or Tokyo Babylon, nor do I own the characters and plot from either of those.

**Summary: **Sora/Arashi, after Sora is hospitalized; she wants very badly to stay, but Arashi has always been practical.

**Notes:** Warning for mentioned sex.

**How Am I Supposed To Leave You**

Arashi shifted, blinking awake. There was not even the slightest moment of confusion for the black-haired priestess; she knew instantly where she was and what she had done. She smiled down at her still sleeping lover of one night, gently caressing his hair with her right hand.

Startled by the sense of something missing, she brought her right hand up to her face. There was something wrong about her, something different, and Arashi couldn't quite place it. Nothing should have changed save her relationship with Sora…

Her virginity. Or rather, her lack thereof this morning. Priestesses were pure and chaste, virgin women who never knew the touch of a man, and she had most certainly known Sora the previous night. Her powers were gone, fled with the severing of her hymenal thread, and there was nothing she could do about that.

Except…except Sora kept blathering on and on about how he was going to protect her and die for her. And she couldn't protect herself anymore. His death was a certainty if she stayed in Tokyo, attempting to help the Dragons of Heaven. Her choice was clear, and simple. She would leave, now, before Sora woke up or one of the others came to visit. Hopefully they would be too busy to look for her, and Sora would live.

Arashi slipped out of the hospital bed and pulled her clothes back on. She had just tied the bow of her uniform when Sora shifted, muttering in his sleep. The Ise priestess froze, heart pounding, but the Mt. Koya monk merely shifted and fell deeper into sleep. The sight of his sleeping face touched something deep inside of her, called her back to his side where she would stay with him forever.

But Arashi was nothing if not practical, and she shook off the feeling. After all, she was leaving so he could live. Sliding the hospital door open, she took one last glance back, an attempt to memorize his features until she made it back to him—if she ever did.

She closed the door with a quiet click and fled, deeper into Tokyo, to a place where she could truly test how far gone her power was.


	2. Society's Lens

**Summary:** one-sided Karen/Aoki; she loves him but cannot have him, and yet he is still hers.

**Society's Lens**

Karen had never been truly embarrassed by her job. It was a natural thing for her to do after her Fundamentalist mother told her she was the devil, so there was no shame from her Christian roots. Besides, it was a way to make a living and survive until the end of the world.

When Aoki Seiichirou had walked in to interview her for one of his authors, she had been pleasantly surprised when he not only treated her as a person, but had done his best to not only make her feel comfortable (despite her state of undress) and to also keep his distance so that she had some sense of personal space.

It had been novel, being treated as a person rather than an object, so it was really no wonder that she warmed up to him so quickly. She didn't see the children-for really, the others were so young-all that often, so her closest bond was with Aoki-san. Finding out that he was married hadn't been a true surprise, although it was certainly a disappointment; he was such a _good_ man, possibly the best that she knew.

And so she would do her best to see that he would be able to return to his wife and daughter, even if it meant her own life. At least if she died someone would cry for her, a hostess who had never had someone like that before.


	3. Magestorm

**Summary:** Kamui; surrounded by the battle, sanity slips away.

**Magestorm**

Powers clashed, strengthened or weakened by the will of the casters. Ferocious movements were glimpsed in the flickering light, fighting poses that were held for split seconds before shifting with the need to help an ally, evade an opponent, attack an enemy.

Eyes glinted with determination, hatred, resignation, sorrow.

Flashes of steel, glimpses of the too-real colors of magic, hints of blood and bruises and bone, flickers of a failing shield…

The tang of iron, the taste of failure, the essence of teamwork, the flavor of success that costs too much.

The resonance of pursuing footfalls, the echo of harsh breaths, the thud of dying comrades and opponents, the undercurrent of chanted spells…

The whiff of fear-yours or someone else's-that wafts on the still air, the odor of sweat pouring from everyone, the aroma of perfection, everything coming together the way _he _wanted…

The feel of concrete supporting your battered body, the brief touch of support as she pulls you up, the harsh tap of another magic-laced punch, the barest contact as you reach for _him_, hoping to reach him one last time…

The panorama of battle sweeps you along, further and further into battle, until you can't tell up from down, friend from foe, _him_ from _you_.

And then it's over, your side retreating, or is _he_ allowing you one more day of grace? You don't know, you don't care, you just kneel there, covered by your blood and reaching for support from a shattered team that keeps on shattering.


	4. Morning Cuddle

**Summary: **FumaxKamui; good morning, how are you today?

**Notes: **Sorry this is late. To make up for it, I'm posting two chapters. Enjoy!

**WARNING:** Hints of non-consensual erotic activity; boyxboy moments.

**Morning Cuddle**

Kamui moaned slightly, shifting against the restraining chains as he woke up. Dark eyes watched from the shadows as the young man looked around, trying to determine his location. A mouth curved upwards into a smirk as Kamui the Dragon of Heaven tried his hardest to break free of the chains—and failed.

Finally, he stepped forward into the early morning light, enjoying the way Kamui's eyes snapped to him almost instantaneously. "Fuma…" the black-haired Dragon of Heaven whispered, haunted eyes staring at him.

"Good morning, Dragon of Heaven," Fuma chuckled, strolling casually over to him. The taller man leaned down so that his head was next to Kamui's, moving closer so that their bodies touched every time one of them inhaled. "You look so good in that position," Fuma chuckled, one of his hands caressing Kamui's cheek.

He shifted his head so that he could lick at the other Dragon's pulse point, enjoying its increasing flutter. "Do you like that?" Fuma purred, wanting to hear Kamui admit to it. When no answer was forthcoming, Fuma simply started lapping up the blood from the fight that had captured Kamui. He let his tongue linger over each wound, no matter how large or small, dark eyes alternatively closing in sensual pleasure and opening to watch Kamui's eyes.

Kamui winced away every so often, but one of Fuma's hands always caught him and pulled him back. The other hand Fuma let wander over Kamui, enjoying the feeling of Kamui even as he enjoyed the taste and the sight.

Finally, Fuma pulled back. "The helpless, ravaged captive look suits you, Kamui the Dragon of Heaven," he chuckled. "I have to go now, but I'll come back and visit later, so be a good little boy and don't run off."

As Fuma left, he idly wondered how long it would take Kamui to escape and how he should punish the other when he caught him again. It was only a matter of time, after all.


	5. Triad

**Summary: **Subaru and Kamui; when I look in the mirror, you are the one that I see.

**Triad**

Three people form a triangle, no matter what. One of the people can die, but that person is still the third side to the triangle.

Two boys and one girl make up two triangles. One boy suddenly changes, throwing off a glamour or being pulled in to a new persona, and he kills the girl. The second boy is determined to find the first and make him pay or he is stricken by grief.

Love holds both triangles together, even with all of the pain and blood that lie within.

No mark on the second boy save one caused by the first, or the second is lessened, the prey not so pure, and anger is felt by the predator.

The girl leaves a message, a way to remember; a curse meant to save and a phrase meant to hope. But both are ignored, as if neither were given, and the curse does its work and the phrase fades away.

One girl killed by a brother, one girl killed in place of a brother, one boy who kills, one boy who grieves.

Hunters who laugh as they kill their prey, blood is so pretty, let's dance in it today, and be damned to those who say nay.

Two boys from two triangles form such a bond, pain from love and love for murderers.

Two boys from two triangles work together, predators making a pact meant to break.

Two girls from two triangles fade into death, haunting forever but dead nonetheless.

Three people form a triangle, no matter how many are living or dead.


	6. Meeting Spot

**Summary:**Tohrux?; in this park, at this time, we meet and come together.

**Meeting Spot**

She looked around, curious to see what was so special about this particular lake. Tohru had always followed her feelings, for, being raised in a family with power, she knew the importance that hunches could hold. For some reason, the black-haired woman had been drawn to this precise spot at this precise time, and she would do her part and see what was wanted—even if she didn't yet know what her part was.

So wrapped up in her own thoughts, Tohru didn't register the tall man who was sprawled, sleeping, on the grass. Or, at least, she didn't notice him until she tripped right over him and landed, hard, on the ground on his other side. "Oww…" the dark-haired woman moaned, rubbing her back.

"Ah, I'm sorry! Are you all right, Miss?" the man she had tripped over asked, standing over her. Tohru blinked, wondering when he had stood up, but she accepted the proffered hand. The dark-haired man pulled her up as if she weighed nothing and told her, somewhat sheepishly, "I'm sorry you tripped over me. I really should stop falling asleep everywhere."

"Ah, n-no, it was my fault for not paying attention," the polite woman quickly replied. Dark eyes scanned the tall man, wondering why her hunch had led her to him. He was handsome enough, but he certainly didn't look like a practitioner. So what was so special about him that she absolutely had to meet him right here, right now? Tohru stiffened as she realized that the stranger was also looking at her oddly. "What is it?" she bit out, tone taking on a distinct chill.

He tilted his head to the side as he studied her, and smiled. "So, you're one of the Magami Clan?" he asked, smile cheerful. "It's very nice to meet you, Magami-chan."

"How did you know?" Tohru demanded, outright glaring at the dark-haired man. "And don't be so familiar!"

"Well," he replied, casually, "it's really quite easy. It's your aura, Magami-_chan_," he stressed, smile turning into a slight smirk. "Your aura is that of someone who is protecting someone else, and it matches the type of the other Magami clan members whom I've met."

"You can see my aura?"

"Of course; can't you see mine?" he mocked, smiling at her. At her deepening glare, he chuckled. "Magami-chan, you're too easy to tease. I'm well aware that seeing auras isn't a common power." He moved closer to her. "Want to have it for your own?"

Tohru scoffed. "What kind of a fool do you take me for? I'm well aware that the ability to have a power is inherited, not learned. If you have nothing further to say to me, then good day!" She turned to walk off, but the stranger's next words froze her in place.

"I meant for your child, Magami-chan."

Tohru slowly turned around to face him, dark eyes wide. Slowly, they narrowed as she informed him; "there's never a guarantee that you will inherit the powers of a parent, _sir_."

"But isn't it worth a shot? Especially for the one who will decide the future of this world?" he pressed.

"That's what you want, then?" Tohru asked, resigned. "To be the father of Kamui?"

"Is that such a bad thing? To be his father?"

"Is it to much to be wanted for myself?" Tohru flung back, angered by the stranger's calm.

"Is it not better to choose the father than to accept whoever is thrust at you by your clan?" the man countered, moving closer to her once more. "Choose me, Magami-chan," he pressed, reaching out to her. "Let me be the father of your son, Kamui who will change the fate of the world."

Tohru looked at the dark-haired stranger, and slowly, slowly accepted his outstretched hand…


	7. Beautiful in Blood

**Summary:** Slight FumaxKamui; and it looks so good on him, you just can't help yourself.

**Warnings:** Slightly sick and disturbing POV.

**Beautiful In Blood**

You lick your lips as you watch him, crumpled and broken yet again. Every time you do this to him you savor the look on his face, the tightness of his body, the despair reeking from his every pore. You delight in his broken form and deepening sorrow, loving how well it suits him.

But most of all, you delight in the blood that covers him. Whether it is his own or that of a companion's or even a total stranger, he looks best when he is coated in fresh crimson, the beautiful scarlet highlighting his pale features with striking color.

Yes, red truly does suit your opposite, you admire. You especially enjoy being the one to paint it on. It is so much more sensual when it is your hand, slick with the blood of another dead human, that caresses that lovely ruby onto his clothes, his hands, his face…

It is an intoxicating feeling, to make an already attractive human even more stunning. And so you continue to deliberately kill near him, letting the red drops splatter onto his form, and adoring the beautiful, broken picture he makes.

Yes, you think, licking your lips as your eyes drink in the form of Kamui the Dragon of Heaven, he truly is most beautiful when bathed in blood.


	8. Death at Night

**Summary:** Unknown; his temper got the better of him, but he still managed to keep his artistry.

**Death At Night**

The silence was unbearable. It begged to be shattered, crushed into millions of tiny mirror shards.

The darkness was clogging, rather than comforting, hiding the thief in the night rather than highlighting the man-shaped shadow that dealt death.

A splash of crimson brown gleamed amongst broken glass. It did not seep forward, already having congealed in a sticky, chosen form.

Features twisted in shock and horror lay scattered across the cold pavement. Wide eyes looked up from where they had landed; a wide mouth practically trembled with pleading words, caught between the two eyes but nearer to one than the other; hands held up in self-defense lay like spiders attempting to crawl away from a red-colored lake.

He looked down, a smirk kissing his lips as he surveyed the remnants of his temper tantrum. A true masterpiece, despite his anger. The angel of death swept off into the night, leaving the alley to be found as dawn slipped into the sky.


	9. Remembrance

**Summary:** Souhi and Hien; light one candle for the terrible sacrifice Justice and Freedom demand.

**Remembrance**

The candles are pure white and they stand in an unbroken circle. Slowly, a pale hand reaches up and begins to light them one by one.

"Shirou Kamui," a faint voice murmurs as the first candle is lit. "Arisugawa Sorato. Kishuu Arashi. Nekoi Yuzuriha. Aoki Seiichirou. Kasumi Karen. Sumeragi Subaru." A pause, both in the naming and in the lighting.

Then, slowly, the voice begins again, speaking in time with the lit candles. "Sakurazuka Seishirou. Nataku. Kigai Yuuto. Yatouji Satsuki. Kuzuki Kakyou. Shiyuu Kusanagi. Monou Fuuma."

Again, that briefest of pauses in both hand and voice, but the ceremony is inexorably continued. "Monou Kotori. Hinoto. Kanoe. Saiki Daisuke. Sumeragi Hokuto. Monou Saya. Magami Tokiko. Magami Tohru."

The figures stop, eyes drifting closed as all but one candle have been lit. "May your ghosts rest in peace, and come not here to haunt those left alive. You are remembered, you are known, you existed and continue to exist. Let that thought give you joy as you continue on your journey in the realms of the dead," two voices chant in unison.

The last candle is lit, and twin women weep for all that was lost and all that was gained in the long ago year called 1999.


	10. Souls of the Dead

**Summary:** Hinoto; when I falter, afraid, their accusing glances spur me on.

**Notes:** Thank you very much to **Ruth** for pointing out that I posted this wrong, and I'm very sorry for that.

**Souls of the Dead**

I can feel them around me. They surround me on all sides, never leaving me alone for even a moment. But that's all right; they are my reason for continuing, for attempting to change this dream that I have seen.

If it were not for them, I might have given up hope. But they stare at me, they demand that their sacrifices not be in vain.

Saiki…he holds me, when I cry. He gives me strength when I think I have run out.

Hokuto-san…I never met her in life, but she is with me now, comforting me, making me laugh when I think that I shall never do so again.

Kotori-chan…she is the one who gives me the most hope. She keeps on reminding me that the future is not set in stone.

There are others, of course, such as Saya-san, Tohru-san, and Tokiko-san, as well as all of the others who have had a hand in this, but those three are my main inspiration. Without them, I would have given up long ago.

And so, surrounded by the dead, I pray for the living.


	11. Reading the Bones

**Summary: **Yuuko; the fragments of her life dissipate as easily as this.

**Reading the Bones**

The slender hand reached out, casually picking up the white fragments scattered throughout the area. An observer might have noticed that the hand holding the fragments was almost as luminescent as the white sticks that it held. But of course there were no observers, not even the woman's usual companion. She had left him behind for today, knowing that the sight would only distress her excitable employee.

Burgundy eyes half-closed as dark lips pursed in thoughtfully brooding silence. She brushed her darkly cascading hair over her shoulder as she made up her mind. Carefully, she tossed the white sticks up into the air, watching how they came down and noting their positions.

The pale-skinned woman sighed, wine colored eyes deepening with resignation and sorrow as she eyed the white sticks she had picked out of the ruined building. "So this is the way an era ends, for good or ill," she muttered, perhaps to herself or perhaps to the ghosts.

She turned and walked away, leaving the fragments where they had fallen. She could do no more, despite her own desires, for she answered the requests of others and could do nothing without the power that others invested in her. Glancing up at the sky, she calmly opened the black umbrella she had brought with her, getting it in place just as the first raindrop fell. She did not look back.

The ground was purified of her footprints, and before long no trace of the dark-haired woman remained. All that the police found was a ruined building and the bones of the dead lying in an odd pattern.


	12. Scale

**Summary: **The Dragons of Heaven; sometimes, it's the ones who work together who fall the fastest.

**Scale**

It was perfect harmony, a carefully arranged set of movements meant to achieve maximum efficiency. Every so often they would stumble, but it truly wasn't that hard to correct the little mistakes, and they always recovered.

Up and down, down and up, each of them fit perfectly in a pre-determined place. Or rather, they _had_ all fit.

But then Subaru had left after killing Seishirou, followed shortly by Arashi's disappearance following Sora's hospitalization, and now Sora's suspicions of Hinoto. It was just coming too fast, one right after the other with no time to recover in between each loss.

It was just too much some days. But a broken scale was better than nothing, or so they all kept trying to convince themselves, and they forged on, determined to neither falter nor fail.

But it was too late; they had already fallen, for their strength was their team and their team was their strength. And they did not know what hit them, did not realize that their harmony was irreparably broken.

Thus they falter, and they fail.


	13. Dissonance

**Summary: **The Dragons of Earth; always moving forward, I am the winner.

**Dissonance**

They had no teamwork. They all took "advice" from their Kamui, but they never really worked together or inquired after the others with any seriousness.

Seishirou just wanted to kill, Kusanagi was just concerned with his precious plants, Kakyou just wanted to die, Nataku didn't know what it wanted, Yuuto just wanted to do what he wanted to, Satsuki just wanted answers, and Fuuma…well, none of them was really sure what he wanted, other than killing.

And yet, they weren't inconvenienced by gaps. They all did their own thing, and so they never noticed the holes that were ever present. Seishirou died, but Subaru took his place. Kusanagi did his best to ignore the war and Kakyou gave warnings to the other side. Nataku was killed by Fuuma.

But nothing ever changed. Nothing affected them. They didn't falter when they had losses.

Thus they surge ahead and grasp success.


	14. I'm Not Broken

**Summary: **Satsuki; she is only curious.

**I'm Not Broken**

Satsuki always approached everything the same way: as if it was a frog waiting to be dissected. She watched, asked questions, and occasionally poked and prodded at whatever it was that she was curious about. It was all done with an emotional detachment that served as a curious intensity.

The dark-haired girl was determined to find out everything that she could. She went after answers like a bloodhound on a scent, and nothing could deter her once she found something she wanted to really know.

It was amusing to watch sometimes, how single-minded she became when she wanted something. But the lack of pleasure when she found out what she wanted to know was somewhat off-putting. She wasn't pleased by success, just driven to find out something else.

No matter what happened, Satsuki was always only curious.


	15. No Present Like Time

**Summary: **Kamui, Sora, Arashi, Yuzuriha; they more than anyone needed time to remember that they were, after all, just children.

**Notes:** Sorry it's a day late, but yesterday was a travel day.

**No Present Like Time**

Kamui looked at Sora, confused, but followed him anyways. Arashi and Yuzuriha noted their leader's silent acceptance of whatever it was Sora wanted and followed without comment. Well, almost without comment.

"Where are we going, Sora?" the youngest of their group asked, popping up next to the Mount Koya monk.

"You'll see," the black-haired man replied, grinning down at her. "It _is_ a surprise, Yuzuriha." Looking over his shoulder, he added, "keeping up, babe?"

Arashi's dark glare had him chuckling as he continued leading all of them towards a location known only to him. The four Dragons of Heaven continued down the streets of Tokyo, enjoying one of their rare undisturbed days. Normally, by now, one of the Dragons of Earth would have attacked, ruining any chance for fun, but so far nothing had happened. Sora hoped that their luck would hold long enough for all of them to relax a little bit. _Just this once, you owe it to us,_ he thought at the gods.

After a few more minutes, Sora slowed to a stop, the others pausing around him and joining him in surveying a riverside park. "We're here," the black-haired monk announced, grinning.

Kamui looked around, confused, but Yuzuriha's eyes lit up. "Really, Sora? Really, really?"

"Yessirree, Yuzuriha," the Mount Koya man beamed. "This is indeed where we are spending the day. So, let's enjoy the beautiful river view, the shady trees, and the wide areas to run around in!"

Arashi gave him a blank look, not looking impressed, but she moved into the park in Yuzuriha's wake, leaving Sora to look questioningly at Kamui. "Why?" the leader of the Dragons of Heaven asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Because we all needed a break," Sora told him, seriously. "You most of all, but Yuzuriha and the babe need it, too." The black-haired man grinned and ruffled the slightly younger man's hair. "Don't take life seriously today, Kamui; today is for goofing off and fun. So if I catch you frowning, you're in trouble!" With that warning, Sora gave Kamui a push that sent the slender young man stumbling down the hill after the two girls. Sora watched him go for a moment, grin shrinking slightly, but then the black-haired monk shook his head and, grin back in place, headed off after his three friends. "Yes indeed, absolutely no frowning allowed today!"


	16. Kill Your Friend

**Summary:** Aoki; he knows, but he cannot do anything about it.

**Kill Your Friend**

No one had ever accused Aoki of being stupid or unobservant. His insight into human nature was one of the reasons he was such a successful editor. So of course he knew of Karen's feelings for him. How could he not?

He simply pretended that he didn't know. If he did that, if he ignored her feelings, he didn't have to hurt her with rejection.

True, it was cowardly of him, but Aoki couldn't bring himself to crush Karen like that. He was kind to her, and looked fondly upon her, but he very carefully did not say anything about his knowledge of her emotions. Instead, he watched her tear herself apart to keep her attraction from his notice, and smiled at her.

No matter what he did, it hurt her, and so he chose the easy path of feigned ignorance, knowing that no matter what Karen was hurt and he was untouched.


	17. Revolution

**Summary:** Fate; She watches and She weeps.

**Revolution**

The ubiquitous "they" say that history is a cycle, continuously repeating itself. Event follows event, always similar to what came before, but the end of the world had no precursor. Or so they all thought.

But She knew better. Every event had happened before, for nothing was new, and She had witnessed these same people and others that were different fight over and over again this same, sad battle. Always She saw them struggle and reach and fail, only to be plunged into the same fight without a breath of air or time to rest.

Who won changed, who lived changed, but the fight was the same. It went in cycles, who won and who lost, and She always watching, always snipping off the dying strands to make way for the new ones that blossomed.

This time would be no different. Once again they would struggle and fight to the death, and once again one side would reign triumphant and one side fall, defeated, to the wayside, but only for a time. All too soon they would reemerge and compete once again.

They always seemed to think that the tragedy was losing just one battle, just one life, but She knew that the true tragedy was that they were as stuck in a cycle as everyone else, and no one could ever break free. Not even Her.


	18. The Path Goes Forever On

**Summary: **Dreamseers; purpose reveals what destiny and sorrow cannot.

**The Path Goes Forever On**

They see the future in their dreams, silent witnesses who can warn and advise of coming events but never change them.

Hinoto, the Dreaming Princess, chooses to warn the government of her country. That is her destiny.

Kakyou, the Dragon of Earth, chooses now to do nothing but watch. That is his sorrow.

Kotori, an innocent girl barely aware of her own abilities, chose to give hope that the future is not set. That was her purpose.

Experienced dream seers know that the future cannot be changed. Hinoto and Kakyou know that Kotori is wrong. Hinoto's dark side will help lead to the fall of the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth shall win, but they shall win an earth corrupted by war, one that might never recover. What Hinoto and Kakyou see is the future, and it will come to be no matter what.

Kotori was never trained. Her power took her when she was vulnerable, and she did not live to gain the experience that what one sees can never be changed. She told them that the future was not set in stone.

And Kotori was the wisest of them all. For one who is untrained does not know the limitations, does not know what cannot be done, and is therefore unrestricted by that knowledge. Kotori saw that no matter what, time could not end. Something would survive. Something would bloom in that unforgiving world after the final battle.

All was not lost; it had simply not yet been discovered.


	19. The Law of Becoming

**Summary: **SeishirouxSubaru; something from something, nothing from nothing.

**The Law of Becoming**

It is impossible to get something from nothing, but you also can't get nothing from something. It was a basic rule, and one that everything in life followed. Even assassins.

A successor had to come from somewhere; they couldn't just appear out of thin air. The current Sakurazukamori couldn't build them or mold them out of cherry blossoms; the person had to be real, tangible, _alive._

He had become an obsession, really. Subaru, that was. He wasn't planned, just another target, but now he has become something so much more. That's why you can't let this battle be the final one, not quite yet; he's not ready to take up the mantle, and your predecessor at least waited until _you_ were somewhat ready before letting you take the job.

So you watch and you wait, smiling as he raises his spiritual power with cigarettes, knowing that soon, _soon_, your job will be done and you can become food for the cherry trees.

You have shaped him well, you decide. He will be a good successor, a successful one, and somehow he will not be the last. Because it is impossible for this cycle to come to an end, no matter what he or anyone else might think. You can't get nothing from something, after all.


	20. I May Not Follow

**Summary: **Those who watched the harbingers and seals; they watch and they wait while the end of the world draws ever closer.

**I May Not Follow**

1999 was approaching with the swiftness of an avalanche that couldn't be diverted. All around Japan, people watched and waited. They read the signs in the stars at Mount Koya, listened to the whispers of the gods at Ise Shrine, and shared to the fears of the animals at Mitsumine Shrine. They walked the dreams of others, watched the development of children into killers, and hoped that all would turn out for the best.

When 1999 came, it would be the era of a new generation. No longer would they be the dominant, deciding factors in the world. No more would they shelter the young ones destined for great and terrible destinies. Never again would they soothe the fears of children fated to fight and die.

Soon, too soon for some, they would die terrible, painful deaths. They would not be the only ones, just the first of many. They would not be able to guide the fighters. They would not be able to point them on the path that was best for them. They would not be able to save them. Some of them would see the child they had watched soon, some of them would wait longer for more painful reunions.

Some of them had hated and hurt the child they had watched. Some of them had been neglectful, negligent, never there. Some of them had loved and cherished and protected the child from all harm. And some of them had told the child what to prepare for, no matter how painful that task.

But none of them would have a stake left in the fight. Never again would they be able to take a side. It was all up to those fourteen children.

The gods bless and keep, the gods curse and withhold. No matter which left the lips of the watchers and the waiters, all eyes were trained on those special children as 1999 dawned on a cold winter day.


	21. Inside Your Mind

**Summary:** Kanoe with mentions of Hinoto; Hinoto's mind has changed, and Kanoe doesn't know what to make of it.

**Warning:** Mild spoilers for Hinoto.

**Inside Your Mind**

Ever since she could remember, her sister had been able to see the future in dreams and she could enter her sister's dreams and see what she saw. Her sister's mind held no secrets from her, or she had thought.

Now, though… Now she wasn't so sure. Her sister's mind had turned darker, slicker, dangerous. It was full of traps to catch an unwary intruder, and she was beginning to wonder just how well she knew her darling sister.

She had not foreseen this occurrence, and it made her wonder just what dark secret her sister held close. What was it that currently drove Hinoto? What had caused such an abrupt shift in Hinoto's mental demeanor?

Kanoe couldn't figure it out, and that was very worrisome. She had to figure it out, and soon, if she wanted her plans to succeed.

But why did she get the feeling that Hinoto was now helping _her _side?


	22. Nothing to Me

**Summery: **Kakyo; it impacts without touching, and he just watches and says nothing.

**Nothing To Me**

It didn't touch him anymore. Nothing mattered, not anymore. Hokuto was dead, and he just wanted to follow after her. He didn't care about the Dragons of Earth any more than he cared about the Dragons of Heaven or all of the fighting.

Sure, events impacted upon his dreams, attempting to call his attention to them, but he simply couldn't bring himself to either notice or care about them. Kotori had almost managed to break the shell he had erected around himself since Hokuto's death, but then she had died, too, disappearing from his dreams and into that which humans called the Other World.

How could he bring himself to care when the only two who had been able to touch his soul were both dead now? When he had been unable to change their fates, because dream seers saw what _would_ be? How could he care about something that he was unable to change?

He couldn't bring himself to believe Kotori's dying message. It seemed to much like something that was merely meant to bring a false sense of comfort, possibly more for Kotori than for him, so that she felt like her death accomplished something. A good hope, but also a false one.

Nothing would change, no matter how much Kamui of the Dragons of Heaven learned and adapted. No matter what, the Dragons of Earth would win and the Dragons of Heaven fall, one by one. And finally, he would die, and be free from this half-life of torment and unending grief.

_I am sorry, Kotori, but soon we shall all join you and you shall realize just how immutable the future truly is._


	23. Princess of Dogs

**Summary:** Yuzuriha, pre-story; there are echoes of what she will be, but she is not there yet.

**Princess of Dogs**

She laughs, a little girl's laugh, as she collapses under their weight. They are spirits, and not seen by normal people, and they shouldn't have any weight, but the dogs feel real and they push her down to the grass, rolling around and over her. She is theirs and they are hers, and they are one big happy mass.

The old woman watches, and says nothing. She will give her granddaughter peace and quiet now, while she is not yet a woman and does not have to face the horror that lies in her future, the path foretold from long before she herself was born.

It is still a time of childhood, a time for the girl to be a girl, not a fighter or a killer. She is just normal right now, she is just a girl playing with the family's pets. But even now the old woman can see the shadow of what her granddaughter will become. It is never far from her mind, even if she will not yet let it on to the beloved child.

For now, the child is a princess. Too soon, she will be forced to become a queen.


	24. Predator

**Summary:** Yuuto; the best predator is the one who looks like the prey.

**Predator**

At day, he walked through a hospital, dispensing life and aid with a smile. He was the popular young doctor, confident and handsome, who was always willing to lend a hand when he was on duty.

At night, he walked through the streets, dispensing death and destruction with a smile. He was a Dragon of Earth, arrogant and cold, who was always looking to spread a little bit of destruction wherever he went.

Someone else might have been torn between two such sides, but not Yuuto. He actually preferred spending time fooling people during the day. It was fun, and it made him the perfect predator; the one the prey trusted.

Yuuto enjoyed that thrill, the chance of discovery by the people he hunted. It was all sorts of fun to pretend to be the prey when you were truly the predator. He knew that some of the others felt it, too. Perhaps one day, even the Dragons of Heaven would wake up to the fact that they were wolves pretending to be sheep.

They were all, every last one of them, the predators who were trusted by the prey.


	25. Too Late to Apologize

**Summary:** Toujyou Masaki; hush little baby, don't you cry; Papa loves you and is going to die.

**Too Late To Apologize**

Toujyou Masaki looked down on his daughter, and contemplated what he was about to do. He was about to prolong the life of one who was destined to kill humans for the sake of the earth. Kazuki would be forced to fight and kill and would likely go through pain and suffering before dying horribly.

But he couldn't just stand there and let her die. She was his daughter, his flesh and blood, one of his most precious people. For the sake of the life she should have had, he would give her his life, his body, his DNA, and she would live.

He couldn't get her away from the coming fight, but he could let her have another chance at life before she was thrown into the fight. For her sake, he laid down his life willingly, letting his father experiment on them both to save Kazuki.

"I love you, Kazuki."


	26. Blood, Sweat, and Tears

**Summary: **Kusanagi; when you die, may it be with a smile.

**Warnings:** A bit of a speculative what-if at the end, and a character death. Not really angsty, though.

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

Shiyuu Kusanagi put his all into everything he did. He never held back for fear of burning himself out or to make sure that he still had some reserves "just in case." Some would have called this stupidity or lack of strategy on his part, but in truth it just wasn't his way to not give something his last drop.

Shiyuu Kusanagi lived every second like it was his last one alive. He crammed as much as he could into everything, hoping to live with no regrets so that, should something happen, he would be able to tell whatever waited for him that his life had been satisfying.

Shiyuu Kusanagi felt with all of his heart. His hatred was as unyielding and unequivocal as his love, and so he was careful to think situations through before his heart came to a decision about a person on its own. Only once had he failed to control himself, and now all of his love was focused on a cheerful young girl with a friendly dog.

Shiyuu Kusanagi knelt on the ground, feeling his blood pouring from all over, and relaxed. He had lived life as he wanted, and died on his own terms. He heard crying, sobs, really, from Yuzuriha, but even that didn't bring him regret. As he felt the world going black, he managed enough strength to pull his face into a peaceful smile.


	27. Caroling

**Summary: **Dragons of Heaven; for today, a small victory is enough.

**Notes:** Sorry I didn't update last week, but I was sick. Also, I know this doesn't precisely fit the theme, but it's what came to me. A bit out of season, though. Takes place some time after Arashi leaves and is, almost definitely, completely out of the timeline of the manga.

**Caroling**

Hope and faith and love and joy. That was what the Christians celebrated at this time of year. It was meant to be spent with family in the West. A night of feasting and celebration.

In Japan, it was a popular date night. Couples gathered together to spend the night, sometimes in groups, sometimes all on their own.

It was quiet in the house that the young Dragons of Heaven shared. They ate dinner together, quiet and withdrawn, the older Dragons of Heaven having come over to share dinner with them also silent and war-worn.

"I heard somewhere," Aoki says, to break the terrible stillness of desolation, "that originally this was the celebration of the longest night of the year, for after this night the days would grow longer and brighter and the sun shine down for more time."

They look at him, confused and lost, not quite daring to hope, one step away from grasping his meaning and drawing further back from that shining ray of salvation. Finally, however, Sora takes the opening and asks, "you mean to say it's something like 'darkest before dawn'?"

Aoki nods, too swiftly, pouncing on any chance to brighten the others' faces. "So, we could say that from here on, it has to get better, because until now it has only gotten worse. This is the turning point."

Yuzuriha, often the most optimistic, reaches for this lifeline out of the torrential waves of defeat and misery. "Then we should be celebrating," she exclaims, managing a smile. "This is the beginning of the end, and we will succeed!"

Kamui's frown doesn't deepen, and Karen's eyes light up as she watches Yuzuriha.

For today, it is a victory, Aoki decides. A desperately needed one, dragged out at the last minute, but it signifies the turning point Aoki has made the others believe today is.

They don't laugh and sing, but nor do they cry and rage. And for today, it is enough.


	28. Every Soul In The Room

**Summary:** AUish, Dragons of Heaven and Dragons of Earth; they are just a group of friends enjoying their lunch break together.

**Notes:** I'm using a full romanization of the names, as I have been through this entire work, which basically just means that double vowels are spelled out and that I'm using the (proper) Japanese "ou" instead of "oo" for the long "oh" sound, such as at the end of "Seishirou".

**Every Soul In The Room**

Shirou Kamui frowned slightly as he regarded his homework. It was official: math was truly the bane of his existence. The high school student was jerked out of his contemplation when another person sat down quite close to him, practically atop the slender young man, and proceeded to block what few rays of the sun shone through the clouds.

"Whatcha up to, Kamui?" Arisugawa Sorato asked, slinging a companionable arm around the slightly younger male's shoulders.

Kamui shook off his classmate's arm with a slight scowl. "Don't make me smear my homework, Sora," he warned.

"That's right," a girl's voice piped in teasingly. "He already got told off by Hinoto-sensei for sloppiness." Short, black-haired Nekoi Yuzuriha slid into Kamui's line of sight as she grinned at the two boys. Kamui gave her a half-hearted glare that she completely ignored, choosing instead to plop down on the bleachers near the two boys.

"Is that so, Kamui?" Sora smirked, eyes glinting. "Well, don't let _me_ stop you from improving your handwriting for Hinoto-sensei. By all means, go back to your," he paused, looking down at Kamui's work sheet, before finishing with a shudder, "math. Gah, but I hate that class."

"Perhaps if you actually paid attention in class you would find it easier to comprehend," Kishuu Arashi replied, expression blank, as she sat down next to Yuzuriha. Carefully opening her lunch, she began to eat without further comment, seemingly ignoring Sora's comically broken expression.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, however, the expression was replaced by a knowing grin as the taller teenager confided in Kamui, "this is just how she expresses her love for me—eeeOWCH!" The black-haired young man winced in pain as Arashi casually released his thumb from where she had bent it.

"Hey, hey, what's with all the excitement?" a bubbly voice asked. Sumeragi Hokuto bounded into the group's view, dragging her twin brother Subaru behind her. Taking in the scene, the excitable teenager laughed and pointed at Sora. "You got told again!" she sang at him, careful to keep out of his longer reach.

Sora grumbled at her, but didn't really do anything other than a half-serious swipe towards the shorthaired girl. Hokuto clambered onto the bleachers above the others while Subaru quietly took a seat closer to the ground than his more adventurous sister. Looking around, the green-eyed boy asked, "where is everyone else? Normally, we're two of the last ones here."

"Well, that's your fault for being placed into the class farthest from our usual place now, isn't it?" All of them turned to look as Kigai Yuuto and Yatouji Satsuki walked up. "Sorry if we're later than normal, but there was an accident in chemistry," the blond young man explained, smirking slightly.

"Is that why Fuuma and Kazuki aren't with you?" Yuzuriha asked when she noticed the absence of the other two who were in Yuuto and Satsuki's class.

"Considering that they are the two who started it," Satsuki shrugged, as if to indicate disinterest. "And Kusanagi and Seiichirou will be late because there is a student council meeting."

"Oh my, I seem to be late," Kasumi Karen called, approaching from the opposite direction as Yuuto and Satsuki, "but at least I am not the last one to arrive. My apologies, but I had a question on my homework," she explained, calmly sitting down. Frowning, she added, "and I could have sworn that Kakyou was right behind me. Where could he have gotten to?"

"I'm here," Kuzuki Kakyou called, looking slightly flushed. "Sorry, I stopped to help an underclassman I know from middle school."

There was general laughter at that and headshakes, and Hokuto called from the top of the bleachers, "that's our Kakyou, always stopping to help others!"

"I don't really have an excuse for being late," a smooth male voice supplied, "save that I stopped to buy donuts for everyone."

"Go Seishirou!" Sora cheered, reaching for the donuts only to trip when Seishirou moved the donuts and his person out of the way of Sora's rush. "Oww," Sora groaned, standing up and rubbing his side. "What was that for?"

"You don't get first choice, Sora," the taller teenager chided amidst the others' laughter.

Kamui rolled his eyes and put aside the math work sheet, knowing that it wasn't going to get done now that almost everyone was here. Still, it was being put aside for one of the best reasons he decided as he knocked Sora's hand aside and grabbed the last chocolate donut. As Sora sputtered protests in the background and the other four arrived, Kamui relaxed completely in the presence of his friends.

In her store, Ichihara Yuuko looks down on a slumbering black-haired man, red eyes dark. "This, too, must pass. The dream must always end," she tells the young man, voice heavy. "No one can pay that price, not even the one who saved the world." Slowly, she closes the shouji screen and strides down the halls of her shop. "Watanuki," she calls, loud and boisterous, "today I want lots of sake!"


	29. Hangman's Noose

**Summary: **A tool waits for when it is needed.

**Hangman's Noose**

It tightens and twists, cutting off all hope of escape. It crushes fragile flesh, burning inwards in an ever-increasing pressure with no hope of surcease. It is unrelenting, without mercy, stripping away the humanity of destroyer and destroyed alike.

It is the weapon of the ruler, the conqueror, the tyrant, the despot. It is the tool of the weak, the foolish, the cowardly, the cowed. It is the last sight of the wronged, the criminal, the rebel, the thorn.

It is the choice that awaits all who seek for knowledge, all who would overcome, all who face split roads, all who grasp for answers. It is the reward given to the sage, the wise man, the ascetic, the seeker. It is the last chance of the messenger, the harbinger, the killer, the innocent.

It awaits you and I. It awaits him and her. It awaits us all. It awaits the coming.

It waits for one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine.


	30. Fire and Blood

**Summary: **This is the way the world ends.

**Notes:** It's finally over! Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed working on this project; but it took a lot of time and effort. Thank you very much to everyone who read and gave feedback.

**Fire And Blood**

It is said that the world will end in fire,  
Blood boiling, overflowing, as hot desire.  
But I, I love the chill of ice,  
The scent and taste of heaven's spice.

It is said that the world will end in ice,  
Drowning down in blood's entice.  
But I, I love the heat of fire,  
Penetrating down to meet hell's spire.

Fire and ice; blood, heaven, and hell;  
All the world caught by end spell;  
The world spins closer to an end,  
Farewell foe, lover, hated friend.

Some say fire and some say ice,  
Some say heaven and some say hell,  
But blood spills bright no matter the way,  
Calling in the end's sway.


End file.
